1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to patient-worn medical devices, and more particularly, this invention relates to the use of remote transmission and collection of data received from such a device and for the systems management of the device and its components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modem medical technology is available for allowing ambulatory patients to function in a normal day to day environment, even while requiring the monitoring of certain health and physical parameters. In addition to this, it is possible to have therapeutic devices or drugs automatically provided to the patient when in time of need. These medical devices are typically worn by the patients to provide the monitoring of a variety of conditions. These devices may also provide for the automatic treatment when the monitoring device detects that such treatment is required. Examples of such devices include a wearable cardioverter defibrillator, cardiac monitors and infusion pumps for the treatment of diabetes. With respect to the wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD), an example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,306 which issued on Apr. 21, 1998 and its companion continuation-in-part application Ser. No. 09/054,714, filed on Apr. 13, 1998, which patent and application are assigned to the assignee herein and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
By way of brief explanation, this device provides a patient-worn energy delivery apparatus for imparting electrical therapy to the body of a patient responsive to an occurrence of a treatable condition. The apparatus includes a voltage converter for converting electrical energy from an initial voltage to a final voltage at a plurality of charging rates, and a defibrillator coupled between the converter and the patient so as to impart the electrical energy to the patient. The defibrillator produces preshaped electrical pulses such as defibrillation pulses and cardioversion pulses as determined by the monitoring of the patient. With electrodes appropriately placed on the patient, the device monitors the condition of the patient""s heart on a continual basis to determine if the patient requires either a defibrillation pulse or a cardioversion pulse to restore normal heart function.
While the patient may be using any of these various medical devices, it is important that the data collected from the device be analyzed by the care giver. Typically, this means that the patient must travel to the hospital or clinic in order to exchange the device for a different one so that the data collected on that device can be read and analyzed or to at least drop off some sort of memory module, be it either a tape or a paper printout, so that the physician can analyze the data and thus the health of the patient. This necessitates that the patient again travel to the hospital in order to have this procedure done.
Moreover, these devices have traditionally required programming or configuration at the location which originally dispenses the device to the patient who, as stated above, must later return to that center for review of the collected data. When the components of the device need to be upgraded or changed due to expiration of their normal useful life, such as replacement of a battery or any other electronic component such as a solid state memory, the patient again must travel to the dispensing center in order to have this routine maintenance accomplished. Many times such an update to the system merely involves improving or upgrading the system""s operating software so that the monitoring and therapy device works in a more efficient and helpful manner.
With digital technology, it is possible for such a device to be able to xe2x80x9cdownloadxe2x80x9d the data via telephone line, for example, from the patient""s home to a remote location. With this type of system, the patient data is collected into a solid state memory which can then be transmitted via telephone line and modem to the hospital or physician""s office for analysis of the data by the physician.
It would be advantageous, therefore, if the frequency of the number of trips that the patient must make to the dispensing center, such as a hospital or physician""s office, is minimized. Remote transmission of patient data and diagnostic information related to the operation of the device would help eliminate some of the heretofore repetitive trips that the patient must make. Moreover, remote upgrading of the operation of the device would more efficiently aid use of the most therapeutically effective device being available to the patient as quickly as possible.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a medical device which can be worn by a patient and provides for interactive transfer of data and information from the device to a remote center, such as the doctor""s office, for monitoring of the patient and of the equipment itself.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device which can be upgraded remotely from the device dispensing center in order to reduce the number of personal visits by the patient to the dispensing center.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a patient-worn medical device which has the capability to transfer information and data with a remote center via telephone dial-in access, direct internet access or radio frequency communications.
The above and objects are attached by the present invention, according to which, briefly stated, method of monitoring patient medical information, the method comprising the steps providing a wearable medical device for monitoring predetermined patient medical information. In one embodiment, the wearable medical device is a wearable cardiac defibrillator and monitor.
The wearable medical device is operatively connected to the patient and the predetermined patient medical information is recorded in a storage means of the wearable medical device. An outlet port of the wearable medical device is operatively connected to a communications system in order to transmit the predetermined patient medical information to a health care provider by means of the communications system, and the patient medical information recorded in an information database. Access to the patient medical information is provided to predetermined individuals, such as medical personnel for monitoring the patient""s health and/or technical personnel for monitoring correct operation of the device.
Where the wearable medical device is a cardiac defibrillation device, the step of recording the predetermined patient medical information comprises recording electrocardiograms of the patient""s heart rhythm.
In a system for monitoring patient medical information, the system comprises a medical device operatively attached to a patient for monitoring and storing predetermined medical parameters. The medical device is connected to a communication network, which in turn is connected to the medical device thereby operably connected to exchange information with the patient database, and/or technical personnel for monitoring and upgrading the performance of the device.